Sources: MetLife Annual Employee Benefits Trends Study, National Business Group on Health, Kaiser Family Foundation

In today’s rocky economy, employee perks like hefty bonuses, lavish retreats and limitless expense accounts are a faint memory. However, one benefit that employers seem increasingly willing to invest in is the wellness of their staff.

Corporate wellness programs, which encourage people to take steps to prevent the onset or worsening of a health condition and to adopt healthier lifestyles, have steadily grown in the past few years, according to the latest MetLife Annual Employee Benefits Trends Study.

Almost half of employers offer such programs, nearly double the number in 2005. Among companies with 500 or more employees, the number jumps to about 75 percent.

“Some companies can’t afford to give merit increases as they did in the past, but they still want to do the right thing and take care of their employees, so they offer them a wellness program,” said Quan Campbell, president of San Diego-based Life Wellness Institute, which designs corporate wellness programs.

Not only do wellness programs improve the health of the staff, but they also increase productivity while saving the company money.

Studies have shown that for every $1 a company puts into corporate wellness programs, $3 is saved through decreased sick days, increased worker productivity and employee retention, according to the National Business Group on Health in Washington, D.C.

“The goal of a wellness program isn’t just to lower insurance claims and pharmacy costs but to better manage absences and have fewer illnesses and injuries,” said LuAnn Heinen, vice president of the business health group and director of its Institute on Innovation in Workforce Well-being. “The goal is to get a more effective employee.”

Shrinking deductibles

Although a wellness program can mean different things to different employers, there are certain trends that have emerged and are reflected in San Diego County companies’ plans.

Incentive wellness programs, encouraging employees to participate in their own preventive health care, have become increasingly popular. Employers like Carlsbad-based Life Technologies tie health insurance premiums to their wellness initiatives.

The biotech company offers its employees two medical insurance plans, both with high deductibles. One plan, with a $2,500 family deductible, requires the employee to complete a health assessment and screening, along with having blood drawn and vitals checked. Employees choosing not to engage in these requirements are covered by the plan with an even higher deductible of $5,000 per family.

“We said if you engage, we will put money into your health savings account to help pay for those high deductibles,” said Mike Paolucci, head of Life Technologies’ global compensation and benefits, noting that more than 90 percent of employees are on the lower deductible plan. “We offer various incentives to make it financially attractive to be in the wellness program.”